False Reporting Mr. Patton began a relationship with the victim of a kidnapping case for which he was the lead detective. When he began to think the relationship details might be revealed, he reported himself as being the victim of a stalker. Patton made claims that Jane Doe sent him multiple text messages on his police department issued cell phone. He further claims he had been asking her to stop sending these messages. When detectives continued their investigation, it revealed the text messages between Jane Doe and Patton. These messages on her phone completely contradict his statement that he wanted the relationship to be at an end.
Legal Definition
Under C.R.S. § 18-8111, a person has committed a false report to authorities …show more content…
Police departments across the United States are filled with hard working men and women who want to do a good job. All of these men and women are quickly forgotten when a case like that of Mr. Patton emerges. As a citizen and student, I fully expect for everyone serving in a law enforcement capacity to conduct themselves with integrity and professionalism. Every day the police and other law enforcement agencies expect citizens like me to follow the letter of the law. If they expect the rest of us to follow the law, they should as well. While some citizens may feel that nobody is perfect and former Detective Patton is no exception, I disagree. The majority of law enforcement duties fall under the realm of formalism. There has to be an all or nothing approach to what individuals do. They either have to conduct themselves professionally all the time or none of the time.
Policy Changes When an incident such as the case of Paul Patton emerges, it may very well be indicative of a need for policy change. The sad truth is he is not likely to be the last officer found to be in violation of city employee policies. If he was able to get away with his actions for such a long time, how many others are there who are in the midst of the same situation? I have two specific ideas for preventing this same type of incident from occurring again in the …show more content…
Once the patrol unit has arrived on scene the determination can be made whether it will require further investigation by detectives from the other divisions in the city. When Jane Doe was kidnapped and later found in the parking lot of a local hotel, her case was assigned to Paul Patton from start to finish. This of course ultimately led to the unprofessional relationship. One way of fixing this situation would be to implement a “two man” policy. Essentially, detectives would be assigned cases in pairs in order to allow them to monitor each other for signs of unprofessional conduct, etc. If one detective were to lose sight of what he is supposed to be doing on the job, the other would be there to act as a moral compass and steer his partner back on track. This idea isn 't flawless of course because there is the chance that both detectives might partner up in straying from their duties. It would, however, be a good deterrent.
Periodic Monitoring One specific aspect of this case is the way former Detective Patton used his police department email account and issued cell phone to communicate with Jane Doe in an unprofessional manner. A potential fix is for the city to adopt a system of periodic monitoring of employee communications. Whether it was random or after a set amount of time, if employees knew they could be easily caught misbehaving and lose their job, it
Legal Definition
Under C.R.S. § 18-8111, a person has committed a false report to authorities …show more content…
Police departments across the United States are filled with hard working men and women who want to do a good job. All of these men and women are quickly forgotten when a case like that of Mr. Patton emerges. As a citizen and student, I fully expect for everyone serving in a law enforcement capacity to conduct themselves with integrity and professionalism. Every day the police and other law enforcement agencies expect citizens like me to follow the letter of the law. If they expect the rest of us to follow the law, they should as well. While some citizens may feel that nobody is perfect and former Detective Patton is no exception, I disagree. The majority of law enforcement duties fall under the realm of formalism. There has to be an all or nothing approach to what individuals do. They either have to conduct themselves professionally all the time or none of the time.
Policy Changes When an incident such as the case of Paul Patton emerges, it may very well be indicative of a need for policy change. The sad truth is he is not likely to be the last officer found to be in violation of city employee policies. If he was able to get away with his actions for such a long time, how many others are there who are in the midst of the same situation? I have two specific ideas for preventing this same type of incident from occurring again in the …show more content…
Once the patrol unit has arrived on scene the determination can be made whether it will require further investigation by detectives from the other divisions in the city. When Jane Doe was kidnapped and later found in the parking lot of a local hotel, her case was assigned to Paul Patton from start to finish. This of course ultimately led to the unprofessional relationship. One way of fixing this situation would be to implement a “two man” policy. Essentially, detectives would be assigned cases in pairs in order to allow them to monitor each other for signs of unprofessional conduct, etc. If one detective were to lose sight of what he is supposed to be doing on the job, the other would be there to act as a moral compass and steer his partner back on track. This idea isn 't flawless of course because there is the chance that both detectives might partner up in straying from their duties. It would, however, be a good deterrent.
Periodic Monitoring One specific aspect of this case is the way former Detective Patton used his police department email account and issued cell phone to communicate with Jane Doe in an unprofessional manner. A potential fix is for the city to adopt a system of periodic monitoring of employee communications. Whether it was random or after a set amount of time, if employees knew they could be easily caught misbehaving and lose their job, it